SCIENTIFIC WORK SHOWS HOW CORRUGATED PACKAGING FOR FRUIT AND VEGETABLES STOPS BACTERIA

The work, conducted by Professor Rosalba Lanciotti and her research team at the University of Bologna's Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences and published in Frontiers in Microbiology, follows a research study published in late June that showed corrugated containers keep fruit and vegetables fresh up to three days longer than RPCs.

Professor Lanciotti's recent work revealed that microorganisms died much quicker when placed on corrugated surfaces where they get trapped in the paper fibers and die due to a lack of water and nutrients. Conversely, the research showed that microorganisms survive longer on plastic surfaces.

“We're pleased to see the University of Bologna's research published in a scientific journal. It reinforces our industry's commitment to use science in seeking facts about the performance of corrugated packaging,” said Dennis Colley, President and CEO of the U.S.-based Fibre Box Association (FBA). “This latest work is important because it explains why corrugated stops bacteria. The ability of corrugated packaging to trap microorganisms and pull them away from fruits and vegetables is a clear sign that produce will arrive fresher and last longer packed in corrugated boxes.”